Safety switch



W. E. M COY SAFETY SWITCH Jan. 17, 1923.

Filed M314, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Wa/[er E. 440. (7

ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

Jan. 17, 1928.

' W. E. M COY SAFETY SWITCH Filed May 4, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORWJ/zer EM:

AT'TORNEY W! NESSES:

Patented J an. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES H 1,656,383 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. MCCOY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,' ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC& MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' SAFETY SWITCH.

Application filed May 4,

My invention relates to switches and particularly to safety switcheswherein the protective devices are entirely disconnected from thecircuit.

a One object of my invention is to provide a reversible safety switchthat shall have fuses and switching means for entirely disconnecting thefuses from the circuits when the switch is opened.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch, of theabove-indicated character, that shall have an oil-receptive means forenclosing the switching means.

Another object of my invention ,is to provide a switch, of theabove-indicated character, that shall be simple in construction andreliable in operation. I y,

In practicing my invention, provide a supporting. base of insulatingmaterial that has a plurality of fuse receptacles mounted thereon. Aplurality of barriers are mounted on one side of the supporting base toform compartments for the fuse receptacles and their fuses or for otherprotective devices. On the other side of the base, I provide a pluralityof supporting brackets each of which 'has a switch-jaw member mountedthereon that is electrically con nected to a corresponding fusereceptacle. A plurality of terminal members, that are disposed withinbushing members, are electrically connected to a second set of switchjawmembers which are disposed adjacent the aforementioned switch-jawmembers. Switching means are disposed on a movable shaft and. areadapted to so connect the corresponding switch-jaw members that thefuses are connected in the circuit when the shaft is turned by a handleprovided for that purpose. Since the fuses are entirely disconnectedfrom the circuit when the switching means are actuated, it is immaterialto which terminals the load and the line conductors are respectivelyconnected.

enclosing hood for normally covering,the fuses. An interlock is mountedinside the hood which precludes the opening of the fuse compartmentwhile the fuses are connected in the circuit and also precludes thefuses from being connected into the circuit while the fuse compartmentis open. An oil tank is rovided to enclose the switching means. wobrackets that are mounted on so the supports for the insulatingbaseserve to The fuse compartment is provided with an- 1920. Serial No.378,825.

support the switch on a wall or other such. desirable place.

Figure l is a side view, partially in elevation and partially insection, of the switch embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an end view,partially in elevation and partially in section, of the switch shown inFig. 1 and F1 3 is a diagram of the wiring connections.

3 switch 1 is provided with a fuse compartment 2 that has a base 3 ofinsulating material disposed therein. A plurality of fuse receptacles 4are mounted on the base 3 for supporting a plurality of fuse members 5.A plurality of barrier members 6 of insulating material are mounted oneither side of the fuses 5. An enclosing hood 7 is hinged at one end 8and is adapted to entirely enclose the fuse compartment 2. A switchcompartment 9 is disposed on the opposite side of the insulating base 3and has aplurality of switch-jaw members 10 and 11 disposed therein. Ashaft 12 is disposed adacent the switch-jaw members and a plurality ofswitch-blade members 13 are mounted thereon for electrically connectingcorresponding switch-jaw members 10 and 11. The shaft 12 is supported,at its ends, by two trunnions 14 and 15 that are supported from abracket 16. A fluid-receptacle or tank 17 completely encloses the shaft12 and the switching means comprising the switch-'aw members 10 and 11and the switchlade members 13. A plurality of terminal members 18 aredis osed in bushmgs 19 and are mounted ad iacent to, and outside of, thetank 17. The terminal members 18 are electrically connected to theswitch-jaw members 11, and the switch jaw members 10 are electricallyconnected to the fuse receptaces 4.

A handle 20 is provided with a lever arm 21 provided with a pin 31 thatis adapted to so engage a slot 32 in a cam member 22 that is mounted onthe shaft 12, as to turn the shaft 12 to effect engagement anddisengagement between the switch-blade members 13 that are mountedthereon and the switch-jaw members 10 and 11. An interlocking member 23is secured to the hood 7, and a laterally projecting pin 24 is somounted on the lever arm 21 as to engage the periphery of an are on theinterlocking member 23 and, thereby, to preclude actuation of the hoodwhile the switch-blade members 13 and the switch-jaw members 10 and 11are in engagement with each other.v The interlocking member 23 isprovided with an offset portion 25 that is adapted to so engage the pin24 as to prevent actuation of the shaft 12 while the hood 7 is in anopen position. Two supporting brackets 26 and 27 are provided forreadily mounting the switch wherever 'lesired.

When the switch is to be connected into a circuit, the handle 20isactuated to turn the shaft 12 to effect engagement between theswitch-jaw members 10 vand 11 and the switch-blade members 13 that aremounted on the shaft 12. Since the switch-jaw members 10 are connectedto the respective ends of the fuses 5 and theswitch-jaw members 11 areconnected to the terminal members 18 that are connected to theconductors in the circuit, the connecting of the switch-jaw members 10and 11 introduces the fuses 5 into the circuit 28. Similarly, actuationof the shaft to eflfect disengagement between the switch-blade members13 and the switchjaw members 10 and 11 entirely disconnects the fuses 5from the circuit.

\Vhile the switch is in its closed position, the handle 20 is sodisposed that the arm 21 that is actuated thereby precludes any movementof the interlocking member 23 and thus precludes any movement of thehood 7 to which the interlocking member 23 is secured. When the switchis in its open position, the arm 21 is so disposed as to permit the freemovement of the hood 7 about its hinge 8. The hook 29 on the end of theportion 25 of the interlock member 23 so engages the pin '24 of the arm21 as to support the hood 7 in its open position and also revent theactuation of the switching means y the handle 20. The switch cannot beactuated, therefore, until the hood 7 has been replaced to cover thefuse compartment.

While I have shown a preferred form of switching device embodying myinvention, I do not limit it to the structure shown, as variousmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 7

T claim asmy invention:

1. 'A switch box comprising a door, a fuse compartment adjacent thedoor, a base in the compartment, a fuse receptacle-mounted on the base,a pair of switch-jaw members mounted on the opposite *side of the baseand electrically connected to the fuse receptacle, a pair of terminalmembers mounted upon the base, a second pair of switch-jaw membersmounted adjacent the aforementioned switch-jaw members and connected tothe terminal members, switching means movable with respect to theswitch-jaw members for electrically connecting the first switchjawmembers with the second switch-jaw members and a fluid-containingreceptacle therefor, a set of contact jaw members, one

for each pole of the circuit, secured to the closure member andextending into the 011 within the receptacle, feed and load terminalsconnected to the switch-jaw members mounted on the closure member andextending exteriorly of the receptacle, fuse members mounted on theclosure member exteriorly thereof, a second set of contact jaw members,one for each pole of the circuit, connected to the fuse members and aswitch member, movable to open 1 and closed positions for so connectingthe contact members of. different sets that the fuse members areenergized only when the switch is in closed position.

3. An oil switch for an electric circuit comprising a receptacle foroil, a closure member therefor, a set of contact jaw members, one foreach pole of the circuit, secured to the. closure member and extendinginto the oil within the receptacle, feed and load terminals connected tothe contact jaw members mounted on the closure member and extendingexteriorly of the receptacle, fuse members mounted on the closure memberexteriorly thereof, a second set of contact jaw members,

.one for each pole of the circuit, connected to the fuse members, aswitch member movable with respect to all contact jaw members to openand to closed positions for so connecting the contact jaw members ofdifferent sets that the fusemembers are energized only when the switchis in closed position, a cover for the fuse members and means for sointerlocking the cover with the switch that the switch cannot beactuated when the cover is open and the cover cannot be moved to openposition when the switch is closed.

4. A oil switch for an electric circuit comprising .a receptacle foroil, a closure member therefor, having overhanging end portions a pairof contact jaw members secured to the closure member and extending intothe oil within the receptacle, a feed terminal and a load terminalmounted on the overhanging portions of the closure inember and, eachconnected to a different contact jaw member of the said pairfa fusemember mounted on the closure member esteriorly thereof, a second pairof contact jaw members connected to the said fuse member and extendinginto the oil within the receptacle and a movable conductive switchelement emersed in the oil for conductively connect ing the contact jawmembers of one pair with corresponding contact members of the otherpair.

5. An oil switch for an electric circuit comprising an oil receptacle,an insulating closure member therefor having overhang- IOU ing portions,terminal members for exterior conductors disposed adjacent the exteriorof the receptacle and partially embedded in the overhanging portions, apair of contact jaw members partially embedded in the closure member andextending intothe receptacle, conductors embedded in the closure memberfor connecting the terminal members to the said contact jaw member s,fuse terminals mounted on the. closure member exteriorly thereof, asecond-pair of contact jawniembers partially embedded within the closuremember and extending into the receptacle, connectors embedded in theclosure member for connecting the fuse terminals to the secondpaif'ofTontact' jaw members and a switch member within the receptaclefor conductively connecting the contact j'awmembers of one pair tothecontact jawmembers of the other pair.

6. An oil switch for an electric circuit comprising an oil receptacle,an insulating closure member therefor having overhanging portions,terminal members for exterior conductors disposed adjacent the exteriorof the receptacle and partially embedded in the overhanging portions, apair of contact jaw members partially embedded in the closure member andextending into the receptacles, conductors embedded in the closuremember for connecting the terminal members to the said contact jawmembers, fuse terminals mounted on the closure member exterior-1ythereof, asecond pair of contact jaw members partially embedded withinthe closure member and extending into the receptacle, connectorsembedded in the closure member for connecting the fuse terminals to thesec ond pair of contact jaw members, a switch member within thereceptacle for conductively connecting the contact jaw members of onepair to the contact jaw members of the other pair'and a cover hinged tothe closure member for enclosing the said fuse memher.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this first dayof April,

WALTERY E. MCCOY. 1-

